Permit requirements

According to state statute [Section 18-12-203(1), C.R.S.], sheriffs must issue a concealed handgun permit if the applicant: • Is a legal resident of Colorado; • Is at least 21 years old; • Is not ineligible to possess a firearm (which includes handguns) pursuant to state and federal law (e.g., has not been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment); • Is not subject to a protection order; • Has not been convicted of perjury; • Does not chronically or habitually use alcohol; • Is not an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance; • Demonstrates competence with a handgun (requires a proof of training certificate). Even if a person meets the criteria listed above, statute allows the sheriff discretion to deny, revoke or refuse to renew a permit if the sheriff has a reasonable belief that documented previous behavior by the applicant makes it likely the applicant will present a danger to self or others if the applicant receives a permit to carry a concealed handgun.

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On a sunny Saturday near Greeley, 30 members of a Loveland church are exercising a fundamental American right: The right to keep and bear arms.

The parishioners and pastor of the Loveland Protestant Reformed Church are learning how to safely handle and fire handguns. For some, this is their first time holding a weapon like this. For others, a pistol is a familiar sidearm.

Harold Tolsma, a former reserve sheriff’s deputy, said he wants to make sure he’s trained and prepared to protect his family and community.

“I’m concerned for the safety and well-being of my family and church members,” he said.

Under the watchful eyes of instructor Jim Torrez of Fort Collins, Tolsma and his fellow church members sent round after round downrange at the Pawnee Sportsmens Center in Briggsdale, firing everything from a .22-caliber pistol to a .45 and a 9 mm of the kind commonly carried by police officers.

Passing Torrez’s class means the church members can apply for their concealed handgun permits from the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office.

The members of the church are part of a fast-growing trend in Larimer County.

In the past two years, thousands of Larimer County residents have requested permission to carry a concealed handgun as they go about their daily lives. The numbers dramatically accelerated in December as the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting relaunched the national debate about gun control and access to guns by the mentally ill.

Last month alone, more than 250 county residents sought permission to carry concealed handguns.

“You wouldn’t have to carry if you knew where the next crazy would strike,” said Jeff Hall, a longtime Fort Collins-area firearms instructor. “They’re taking their safety into their own hands, to protect themselves and their families.”

Several Northern Colorado firearms instructors contacted by the Coloradoan said concerns about personal safety have long been a driver in prompting people to get concealed weapons. The shootings in Aurora and Newtown, Conn. exacerbated those concerns about crazed gunmen. And a Dec. 16 incident in San Antonio, Texas, in which an off-duty sheriff’s deputy shot and stopped a gunman inside a movie theater reinforced their belief in taking responsibility for their own safety.

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“There’s a point at which you say ‘enough is enough,’ said Fort Collins firearms instructor and Second Amendment advocate Ray Hickman. “Cops get there to do cleanup. They don’t get there in time to stop anybody.”

The national conversation about stiffer gun regulations has many people seeking concealed-weapons permits to stay ahead of any changes.

Torrez said there’s a very real fear among law-abiding citizens that the government may make it harder for them to exercise their Second Amendment rights. He said that concern is what’s driving the sharp rise in permit requests.

“This is not so much about the guys in the theaters and malls shooting people. This is about fear of the government trying to disarm people,” Torrez said. “They want to get guns, ammo and a permit, so if the law changes, they’re ahead of the game.”

He added: “I think there’s a healthy fear of the government stepping in and making it tougher to get a gun and tougher to carry a gun.”